Enantioselective Methods for Allylic Substitution and Conjugate Addition Reactions Catalyzed by N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Copper Complexes

Abstract

Chapter 1 Catalytic Enantioselective Addition of Organoaluminum Reagents Catalytic methods involving the enantioselective addition of both commercially available as well as in situ generated organoaluminum reagents are reviewed. An overview of additions to aldehydes, ketones, and imines is provided as well as the difficulties and limitations of such transformations. Furthermore, additions to unsaturation adjacent to a leaving group to form a new stereogenic center are examined. Finally, conjugate addition reactions wherein an organoaluminum reagent is added to an olefin adjacent to a carbonyl or nitro group are discussed. Chapter 2 Synthesis of Quaternary Carbon Stereogenic Centers through Enantioselective Cu-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution with Alkenylaluminum Reagents A method for the formation of 1,4-diene containing quaternary stereogenic centers through catalytic enantioselective allylic substitution is disclosed. The addition of alkyl- and aryl-substituted alkenylaluminum reagents to trisubstituted allylic phosphates is promoted by 0.5–2.5 mol % of a sulfonate-containing bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene–copper complex. Products containing a quaternary stereogenic center as well as a newly formed terminal olefin are obtained in up to 97% yield and 99:1 er with high site selectivity (>98:2 SN2’:SN2). The requisite nucleophiles are generated in situ through hydroalumination of terminal alkynes. The utility of the method is demonstrated through a concise synthesis of natural product bakuchiol. Chapter 3 A Multicomponent Ni-, Zr-, Cu-Catalyzed Strategy for Enantioselective Synthesis of Alkenyl-Substituted Quaternary Carbons Despite the widespread use of conjugate addition in organic synthesis, few reports pertain to the addition of nucleophiles to acyclic systems and none in which the nucleophile is an alkene. Herein, we report the first examples of enantioselective conjugate addition of alkenylmetal reagents to trisubstituted enones to form all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers. Alkenylaluminum nucleophiles are prepared through a site-selective Ni-catalyzed hydroalumination of terminal alkynes and the requisite E-trisubsituted enones are the products of a regioselective Zr-catalyzed carboalumination/acylation of a terminal alkyne. Products are obtained in up to 97% yield and 99:1 er. A model for enantioselectivity, supported by DFT calculations, is proposed. Chapter 4 Formation of Tertiary Centers through Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Alkenylaluminum Reagents to Acyclic Enones We have developed an enantioselective NHC–Cu catalyzed synthesis of tertiary centers in acyclic systems using in situ generated alkenylaluminum reagents, as current methods typically rely on Rh-catalysis at high temperatures with alkenyl boronic acids in protic solvents. Moreover, most examples include chalcone-derived substrates, which, while more reactive, often preclude further functionalization. With the current method, we are able to couple a variety of alkenyl nucleophiles with α,β-unsaturated ketones. E- or Z-silylalkenylaluminum reagents, derived from hydroalumination of silyl-protected alkynes, lead to products in good yields and high enantioselectivities. Additionally, both the α- and β-alkenylaluminum reagents participate in the reaction. Chapter 5 Development of N-Heterocyclic Carbene–Cu Catalyzed Allylic Substitution of Diboryl Methane to Morita-Baylis-Hillman Derived Allylic Phosphates We have developed a method for the coupling of a geminyl diboron reagent with Morita-Baylis-Hillman derived trisubstituted ester-containing allylic phosphates. With 10 mol % of an in situ generated NHC–Cu complex and 1.5 equivalents of the boron reagent, we are able to form the desired product in high regio- and enantioselectivity with a 2,5-ditert-butyl containing carbene. Simple aryl substituents as well as those containing a halogen or an electron-withdrawing group furnish the desired products in up to 85% yield and 98:2 er. Alkyl-containing substrates are also competent reaction partners, although longer chain aliphatics results in slightly diminished enantioselectivity. We are pursuing the application of this method to the synthesis of α-methylene lactones which can be further functionalized to natural products like tubulin polymerization inhibitor (–)-steganone and glaucoma medication (+)-pilocarpine.